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Abstract:

A burr removing method includes: pressing, by using a work pressing
device (7), the upper surface of a work (W) around a work edge (WE),
along which a burr occurs, so as to be relatively freely movable, the
work (W) held on a work table in a plate material processing machine so
as to be freely movable in X- and Y-axis directions; when the work (W)
relatively moves with respect to the work pressing device (7) in the X-
and Y-axis directions, vibrating a striker (35) vertically, the striker
(35) provided at a position below the work pressing device (7) so as to
be freely vertically movable; and, when the striker (35) moves upward,
crushing the burr. A burr removing device includes: a freely vertically
movable striker (35) equipped with a burr striking portion (33) at the
upper end thereof for striking a burr from the lower side and provided on
a base member (29) attachable to and detachable from a work table or a
die holder (5) in the plate material processing machine; and a vertical
movement actuator being used for vertically moving the striker (35) and
provided on the base member (29) or in a burr removing unit (37) equipped
with the striker (35).

Claims:

1. A method of removing burrs caused at a lower face of a plate-like work
processed by a plate material processing machine, comprising: supporting
a work on a work table in the plate material processing machine so that
the work can be moved in X axis and Y axis directions; holding, by a work
holding device and in a relatively movable manner, an upper face near a
processing edge at which burrs from the work are caused; and vibrating,
when the work is moved relative to the work holding device in the X axis
and Y axis directions, a striker provided to freely have an up-and-down
motion in an up-and-down direction at a lower position of the work
holding device so that the burrs are crushed by an upward motion of the
striker.

2. A burr removing device for removing burrs caused at a lower face of a
plate-like work processed by a plate material processing machine,
comprising: a base member detachably attached to a work table or a die
holder in the plate material processing machine; a striker having a burr
striking unit at an upper end, the burr striking unit striking the burrs
from a lower side, the striker provided at the base member to freely have
an up-and-down motion; and an up-and-down movement actuator for moving
the striker in an up-and-down direction, the up-and-down movement
actuator provided in a burr removal unit including the base member or the
striker.

Description:

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and a device for removing
burrs caused, for example, at a large hole periphery obtained through a
punching processing or a nibbling processing by a plate material
processing machine such as a punch press or at the lower part of a
processing edge caused through a cutting processing. More particularly,
the present invention relates to a method and a device for burr removal
by which, even when a plate-like work is thin or even when the work has a
small rigidity due to a small web width size for example, burrs can be
removed without causing the deformation of the work.

PRIOR ART

[0002] Conventionally, when a plate material processing machine such as a
turret punch press is used to perform a processing such as a punching
processing, a nibbling processing, or a cutting processing, burr is
caused at the lower side of the edge of this processed part (hereinafter
referred to as a processing edge). In order to remove this burr, burr
removing devices having various configurations have been developed. There
is a disadvantage where, when a punching processing of a plate-like work
is performed by a punch press and then the burr removal is performed by
another burr removing device, another burr removing device is required,
thus requiring a facility cost and an installation site for example.

[0003] To solve this, an approach has been known according to which a
punching processing of a plate-like work by a punch press is followed by
the burr removal by a burr removal tool (metal mold) provided in the same
punch press (Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. 2006-95597, Japanese
Laid-Open Publication No. 2007-901).

[0006] The configuration disclosed in Patent Publication 1 is a
configuration where upper and lower metal molds provided in the punch
press include balls provided rotatably, respectively, and the work is
relatively moved while the burr part caused in the work being sandwiched
between the upper and lower balls from the upper and lower sides. The
configuration disclosed in Patent Publication 2 is a configuration where
the work is sandwiched from the upper and lower sides by a roller
provided in an upper mold of the punch press and a cone-shaped burr
contact section provided in a lower die holder of a lower mold.

[0007] Specifically, in the conventional configuration, when the burr
caused in a work is sandwiched by the balls provided in the upper and
lower metal molds for example, the burr removal (removal) is achieved by
the plastic deformation of the burr. Thus, the work is strongly
sandwiched between the upper and lower metal molds. This means that a
high resistance is caused when the work is relatively moved in X and Y
directions, which may cause the deformation of the work. Thus, there is a
disadvantage of the limitation on the work thickness or the web width
size of the work after the processing for example.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the conventional
disadvantage as described above. The invention provides a method of
removing burrs caused at a lower face of a plate-like work processed by a
plate material processing machine, comprises: supporting a work on a work
table in the plate material processing machine so that the work can be
moved in X axis and Y axis directions; holding, by a work holding device
and in a relatively movable manner, an upper face near a processing edge
at which burrs from the work are caused; and vibrating, when the work is
moved relative to the work holding device in the X axis and Y axis
directions, a striker provided to freely have an up-and-down motion in an
up-and-down direction at a lower position of the work holding device so
that the burrs are crushed by an upward motion of the striker.

[0009] The invention also provides a burr removing device for removing
burrs caused at a lower face of a plate-like work processed by a plate
material processing machine, comprises: a base member detachably attached
to a work table or a die holder in the plate material processing machine;
a striker having a burr striking unit at an upper end, the burr striking
unit striking the burrs from a lower side, the striker provided at the
base member to freely have an up-and-down motion; and an up-and-down
movement actuator for moving the striker in an up-and-down direction, the
up-and-down movement actuator provided in a burr removal unit including
the base member or the striker.

[0010] According to the present invention, a striker movably provided in
an up-and-down direction at the lower position of the work holding device
for holding the upper face of the work in a movable manner is vibrated in
the up-and-down direction and the burr is crushed by allowing the striker
to strike the burr to thereby remove the burr. Thus, since the work is
prevented from being always strongly sandwiched between the work holding
device and the striker, the work can be smoothly moved in X and Y
directions by performing the up-and-down vibration of the striker at a
high speed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011]FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of
a burr removing device according to the first embodiment of the present
invention.

[0012]FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of
a burr removing device according to the second embodiment of the present
invention.

[0013]FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of
a burr removing device according to the third embodiment of the present
invention.

EMBODIMENT FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0014] Referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 1 illustrates a case where a burr
removing device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present
invention is provided in a punch press as an example of a plate material
processing machine. The punch press as an example of a plate material
processing machine includes, for example, a punch holder (upper die
holder) 3 such as an upper turret and a die holder (lower die holder) 5
such as a lower turret. The upper die holder 3 includes a work holding
device 7 for holding the upper face near a processing edge WE subjected
to a punching processing or a cutting processing of a plate-like work W
supported on a work table (not shown) to be movable in the horizontal
direction in the X axis and Y axis directions. In this embodiment, the X
axis and Y axis directions mean a direction parallel to the plane of the
plate-like work W and generally coincide with axes on the horizontal
plane that are orthogonal to each other.

[0015] The work holding device 7 includes a lifting member 9 movably
supported by the upper die holder 3 in an up-and-down direction. This
lifting member 9 is always upwardly biased by a lifter spring 11. This
lifting member 9 includes, at the upper end thereof, a head member 15
pressed by a striker (ram) 13 movably provided in the up-and-down
direction in the punch press. The lifting member 9 includes, at the lower
part thereof, a pressing unit 21 including a rotating body holder 19
provided movably in the up-and-down direction. The rotating body holder
19 presses the upper face of the work W and includes a rotation member 17
(e.g., a rotatable steel ball, a roller) provided in a rotatable manner.
The rotating body holder 19 is always downwardly biased by an elastic
member 23 such as a coil spring provided in the pressing unit 21.

[0016] A base stand 25 is provided at a position corresponding to the work
holding device 7 in the upper face of the lower die holder 5. This base
stand 25 has thereon a base member 29 that is detachably attached via an
attachment tool 27 (e.g., a plurality of attachment bolts). A tool
mounting hole 31 formed in this base member 29 includes therein a burr
removal unit 37. The burr removal unit 37 includes, at the upper end
thereof, a cone-shaped or curved convex-shaped burr striking unit 33 that
is provided movably in the up-and-down direction to strike the processing
edge WE of the work W from the lower side.

[0017] The burr removal unit 37 includes a cylindrical unit body 39
attached in the tool mounting hole 31. At a plurality of positions of
this unit body 39, rotating bodies 43 (e.g., balls, rollers) for
supporting the work W in a movable manner are provided. The rotating
bodies 43 are rotatably provided to be slightly protruded from a hole of
a cover plate 41 attached to the upper face of the unit body 39. This
rotating body 43 is always upwardly biased by an elastic member 45 (e.g.,
a coil spring) attached in the unit body 39.

[0018] A penetration hole 47 formed in the up-and-down direction at the
center of the unit body 39 includes therein a tubular slider 49 attached
to be movable in the up-and-down direction. This slider 49 is always
biased in the lower direction by an elastic member 51 elastically
provided between the cover plate 41 and the slider 49. In a normal
status, the slider is abutted to a lower plate 53 attached to the lower
face of the unit body 39. An upper part of the inner hole of the slider
includes therein the striker 35 that protrudes from the slider 49 in the
upper direction, that can be upwardly protruded from a hole 41H provided
at the center of the cover plate 41, and that can be moved in the
up-and-down direction. A lower part of the inner hole of the slider 49
includes therein a striking member that downwardly protrudes from the
slider 49, that can be freely abutted to the lower plate 53, and that is
provided to be movable in the up-and-down direction. When the striking
member 55 is at an elevated position, the striking member 55 can be
freely abutted to the striker 35. An elastic member 57 is elastically
provided between the striking member 55 and the striker 35.

[0019] In order to move the striker 35 in the up-and-down direction, the
unit body 39 includes therein an up-and-down movement actuator. More
specifically, the unit body 39 includes an air inflow hole 61
communicating with an air inflow hole 61 provided in the base member 29.
This air inflow hole 61 is connected to a communication path 65
communicating with a circular opening 63 formed in the upper face of the
lower plate 53. The opening 63 has a diameter larger than the diameter of
the inner hole of the slider 49 so that the air pressure supplied into
the opening 63 acts on the lower face of the slider 49 and the lower face
of the striking member 55.

[0020] The lower part of the. slider 49 has an air outflow hole 67 in the
diameter direction. This air outflow hole functions to allow, when the
striking member 55 is elevated against the biasing force from the elastic
member 57 and is abutted to the striker 35, the inner hole of the slider
49 to communicate with the outside. The air outflow hole 67 is provided
to be able to communicate with a discharge hole 69 formed in the unit
body 39 when the slider 49 is elevated against the biasing force from the
elastic member 51.

[0021] In the configuration as described above, when a work clamp device
provided in a work positioning device (not shown) in a punch press is
used to clamp the work W and the work W is moved and positioned in the X
axis and Y axis directions to the processing position in the punch press
and is subjected to a punching processing or a nibbling processing for
example, burrs are caused at the lower part of the processing edge WE of
the work W. In order to remove the burrs caused at the processing edge WE
of the work W, the work holding device 7 and the burr removal unit 37 in
the punch press are positioned at the processing position.

[0022] Thereafter, the processing edge WE at which the burrs from the work
W should be removed by the work positioning device is positioned at a
position corresponding to the striker 35 in the burr removal unit 37.
Then, when the striker 13 in the punch press is lowered and the work
holding device 7 is lowered, the rotation member 17 in the work holding
device 7 is abutted to the upper face of the work W to thereby hold the
upper part of the processing edge WE or the upper face near the
processing edge WE.

[0023] As described above, when the work W is being held in a movable
manner by the work holding device 7, air is supplied from the air path 59
provided in the base member 29 to the air inflow hole 61 of the unit body
39. Then, the air in the air inflow hole 61 flows into the opening 63 of
the lower plate 53 to thereby apply a pressure to the slider 49 and the
lower face of the striking member 55.

[0024] Thus, the slider 49 is elevated against the biasing force from the
elastic member 51 and the striker 35 is elevated, thereby allowing the
burr striking unit 33 of the striker 35 to be abutted to the burrs caused
at the lower part of the processing edge WE of the work W. At the same
time, the striking member 55 is elevated against the biasing force from
the elastic member 57 and the striking member 55 is elevated and abutted
to the striker 35, thereby applying an impact to the striker 35. Thus,
the burrs are crushed by the burr striking unit 33 of the striker 35 and
are removed.

[0025] As described above, when the slider 49 and the striking member 55
are elevated together, the air outflow hole 67 provided in the slider 49
is allowed to communicate with the discharge hole 69 of the unit body 39
and the air in the opening 63 of the lower plate 53 is discharged to the
outside. Thus, the air pressure in the opening 63 decreases and the
slider 49 and the striking member 55 are lowered by the biasing force
from the elastic members 51 and 57 to the original lowered positions,
respectively, and are returned to the initial state. Thus, the striker 35
repeats an up-and-down motion (i.e., is repeatedly vibrated in the
up-and-down direction) to strike the burrs at the processing edge WE of
the work W to thereby remove the burrs.

[0026] As described above, when the striker 35 is vibrated in the
up-and-down direction to repeatedly strike the burrs at the processing
edge WE of the work W, the work W can be relatively moved in the X and Y
directions to thereby continuously remove the burrs at the processing
edge WE. As described above, the striker 35 is vibrated at a high speed
in the up-and-down direction to remove the burrs caused at the processing
edge WE of the work W. During this, the work W is not always strongly
sandwiched between the striker 35 and the work holding device 7 by being
pressed by the striker 35 in the upper direction. Instead, the
sandwiching of the work W is cancelled or loosened when the work W is
minutely moved by the up-and-down vibration of the striker 35. Thus, the
work W can be smoothly moved in the X and Y directions.

[0027] Therefore, even when the work W is a thin plate or when the work W
has a small web width size, the work W can be smoothly moved in the X and
Y directions without causing the deformation of the work W, thus easily
removing the burrs caused at the processing edge WE of the work W.

[0028]FIG. 2 illustrates a burr removing device according to the second
embodiment of the present invention. Those components having the same
functions as those in the above-described first embodiment will be
denoted with the same reference numerals and will not be further
described.

[0029] In the burr removing device according to this embodiment, an
up-and-down slider 71 provided at the base member 29 so as to be able to
freely have an up-and-down motion is integrated with a striker 73 having
a burr striking unit 73A at the upper part thereof. A downward biasing
force is always provided from the elastic member 77 elastically provided
between the cover plate 75 attached to the upper face of the base member
29 and the up-and-down slider 71. In order to provide the up-and-down
motion of the up-and-down slider 71, the base member 29 includes therein
a rotary actuator 79 such as an air motor. A cam 83 integrated with the
rotation axis 81 in this rotary actuator 79 is abutted to the lower part
of the up-and-down slider 71.

[0030] The above configuration allows, when the cam 83 is driven to rotate
by the rotary actuator 79, the rotation of the cam 83 to provide the
up-and-down motion of the up-and-down slider 71. Thus, the burr striking
unit 73A of the striker 73 is protruded from the hole 75H of the cover
plate 75 in the upper direction to strike, by the vibration from the
lower side, the burrs caused at the processing edge WE of the work W,
thereby providing the same effect as that by the above-described burr
removing device of the first embodiment.

[0031]FIG. 3 illustrates a burr removing device according to the third
embodiment. Those components having the same functions as those in the
above-described burr removing device will be denoted with the same
reference numerals and will not be further described.

[0032] In this third embodiment, the rotary actuator 79 is substituted
with a reciprocating actuation device 85 such as an air cylinder. This
reciprocating actuation device 85 has a reciprocating actuation rod 87
(e.g., a piston rod) provided in a reciprocating manner. The
reciprocating actuation rod 87 is connected to a cam 89 for providing the
up-and-down motion of the up-and-down slider 71.

[0033] Thus, when the reciprocating actuation device 85 is driven to
reciprocate the cam 89 in the left-and-right direction in FIG. 3, the
uneven surface of the cam 89 causes the up-and-down motion of the
up-and-down slider 71, thus realizing the same effect as that by the
above-described embodiment.

[0034] As can be seen from the description as shown above, the striker
having the burr striking unit at the upper part thereof is vibrated in
the an up-and-down direction to repeatedly strike and crush burrs caused
at the lower side of the processing part WE of the work W, thereby
removing the burrs. Thus, the burrs are not always strongly pressed by
the striker so as to crush the burrs. Instead, the pressing of the work
can be cancelled or loosened when the striker is minutely moved in the
lower direction. Thus, the work can be smoothly moved in the X and Y
directions.

[0035] In the above description, a punch press has been illustratively
described as an example of a plate material processing machine. However,
the invention also can be applied to a device for removing the dross
caused during a laser processing by a laser processing machine. In this
case, such a configuration also may be used where the burr removing
device 1 is attached to a lower frame or a work table in the laser
processing machine, the work holding device 7 is attached to an upper
frame, and an appropriate actuator is used to lower the lifting member 9.